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Boston Celtics (34-42) at Toronto Raptors (45-31)
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Regular Season Game #77, Road Game #38
TV: CSNNE, Sportsnet 360, NBA-LP 756(DTV), 752(Xfinity)
Radio: WZLX 100.7, Sportsnet 590
Air Canada Centre
Marcus Smart...Avery Bradley...Evan Turner...Brandon Bass...Tyler Zeller
Celtics Reserves
Gerald Wallace
Jae Crowder
James Young
Phil Pressey
Shavlik Randolph
Isaiah Thomas
Jonas Jerebko
Gigi Datome
Kelly Olynyk
Jared Sullinger
InjuriesNone
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Greivis Vasquez...DeMar DeRozan...Terrence Ross...Amir Johnson...Jonas Valanciunas
Raptors Reserves Bruno Caboclo
Landry Fields
Tyler Hansbrough
Chuck Hayes
James Johnson
Lucas Nogueira
Patrick Patterson
Greg Stiemsma
Lou Williams
InjuriesKyle Lowry (back) questionable
Game NotesThe Celtics visit the Toronto Raptors for the 3rd of 4 games this season. The Raptors are up 2-0 in the series so far this season. They beat the Celtics 110-107 on 11/5 in Boston and 109-96 on 1/10 in Toronto. They will meet one more time on April 14.
Both teams are coming off of losses on Friday night and both teams had to travel overnight. The Raptors lost to the Nets in Brooklyn while the Celtics lost to the Bucks at home. The Raptors are 9-7 in the second of back to back games. The Celtics are 11-5 on the second night of back to back games. They have won their last 6 games in that situation and are 9 of their last 10.
Kyle Lowry missed the game against Brooklyn on Friday night with back spasms. He is questionable for this game. If he can't play Greivis Vasquez will get the start at the point. The Celtics got Jared Sullinger back Friday for the Bucks' game and he played just 3+ uneventful minutes and it will take a bit for him to get his timing and conditioning back.
Both teams are fighting for playoff position. The Raptors are currently the 4th seed and are 1/2 game behind the Bulls who moved into 3rd with the Raptors loss to the Nets. The Celtics are currently in the 9th spot, 1/2 game behind the Heat, who are in the 8th and final playoff spot. They are also 1.5 games behind Brooklyn, who moved up to the 7th seed with their win over the Raptors. Indiana is 1 game behind Boston and Charlotte is 1.5 games back.
Games to keep an eye on: Philadephia at Charlotte, Brooklyn at Atlanta, Miami at Detroit. Atlanta has been resting their starters and so that is something to watch for. Dwyane Wade left the Heat's last game vs Cleveland and is listed as day to day. His status is an x-factor for that game. Charlotte should get an easy win at Philadelphia.
Key Matchups vs
Avery Bradley vs DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan is capable of putting up a lot of points in a short time. He is averaging 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals. Avery will need to work on defense to keep him from having a big game.
vs
Tyler Zeller vs Jonas Valanciunas
Valanciunas is tough in the paint on both ends. He is averaging 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Tyler needs to try to keep him out of the paint and away from the basket.
Honorable MentionIsaiah Thomas vs Lou Williams
Williams is the Raptors' offensive threat off the bench and is capable of putting up a lot of points in a hurry. Isaiah Thomas can do the same for the Celtics and hopefully he has a better night than Williams.
Keys to the GameDefenseDefense has always been and always will be the key to winning. It was the Celtics defense that fueled the wins over The Hornets and the Pacers. When they play tough defense it also brings more energy to their offense. The Raptors are 4th in the league in scoring at 104.2 points per game so it will be very important to bring tough defense right from the start and keep it up throughout the game. They have to play better defense in this game than they did against the Bucks.
Be AggressiveThe Celtics must be aggressive on defense, in going after loose balls, in crashing the boards, and just all around going all out. They have to aggressively attack the basket. They need to start the game with that aggressive attitude and be aggressive through the whole game with no let up.
ReboundThe Celtics must crash the boards. They can't score if they don't have the ball. Much of rebounding is effort and desire. The Celtics have to be the team that puts out more effort from every player to go after rebounds.
Run and Set the Pace The Celtics need to run on every possession and get up the court before the defenses get set up. Both teams are playing in back to back games and the Celtics are young enough to keep the Raptors moving and tire them out by the end of the game. The Celtics play much better when they run on every possession.
Move the Ball The Celtics have to keep the ball moving and find the open man. They also have to keep their focus and avoid bad passes and turnovers. When the Celtics keep the ball moving good things happen. When they over-dribble and slow it down, their offense gets stagnant.
Focus and Team Play The Celtics need to come into the game focused and they need to keep that focus. They can't let the hostile crowd affect their game. They have to focus on hitting their shots and not allow their focus to waiver as they tend to do at times. They also have to play as a team and not lapse into hero ball.
X-Factors
Back to Back on the Road Both teams are playing in back to back games. The Celtics have been very good in these situations and they need to continue to make this work for them. Also, they are on the road and can't let that affect their focus.
Topic: Celtics (34-42) at Raptors (45-31) Game #77 4/4/15 (Read 43267 times)